Framingham superintendent describes Fuller Middle School safety response, outlines zoning and instructional priorities
Loading...
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Tremblay said a passerby’s report of a possible gun at Fuller Middle School prompted a stay‑in‑place and K‑9 screening; the object was later identified as a cell phone. He also updated the committee on school‑zoning heat mapping tied to an MSBA project and instructional‑materials investments.
Dr. Thomas Tremblay, superintendent of Framingham Public Schools, told the committee Dec. 18 that an incident at Fuller Middle School earlier this week—reported by a passerby who believed they saw a gun—led staff and police to implement a stay‑in‑place and a broad safety response. "It wasn't a gun, it was a cell phone," Tremblay said, adding that the district communicated continuously with families while police and safety staff managed the situation.
Why it matters: Tremblay framed the episode as both a cautionary example of heightened vigilance and an operational success, praising the Framingham Police Department and school staff for coordinated response. He said he authorized use of a K‑9 unit to screen backpacks without individual student searches and described restorative conversations led by Fuller’s principal to support students and staff.
Tremblay also delivered a midyear report on his stated goals. He described a zoning working group conducting heat‑mapping to show where students live relative to their assigned schools as an early step toward considering a new south‑side school and other assignment changes tied to an ongoing Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) project. He said the district will consult the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education before proposing rezoning to ensure the plan would not violate civil‑rights requirements.
On instruction, Tremblay highlighted progress on a professional practice goal to support principals as instructional leaders and credited recent adoption of high‑quality instructional materials—funded by district, state and federal grants—with improving consistency of curriculum across schools. He said an associate commissioner of education visited Fuller Middle School and praised the "growth" in instructional practices.
Tremblay named participants in the zoning working group (Amy Bright, Christina Shea, Lincoln Lynch, Makaylee Neves and others) and said the district will use MSBA demography data and instructional‑technology mapping to inform any proposed boundary changes. He emphasized caution: "We need to get permission first," he said, noting legal review before giving families formal notice of any rezoning.
The superintendent invited committee members to participate in school visits to see instructional practices firsthand and said additional updates will be provided as the zoning analysis and MSBA process continue.
Next steps: The committee acknowledged the safety response and asked follow‑up questions; Tremblay will continue work with the zoning group and consult state education officials before any formal rezoning proposals.
